This invention relates to a two-piece container for sandwiches, hamburgers and the like. This invention particularly relates to a two-piece container which can be securely closed to protect the contents of the container but which also can be easily opened by the consumer of the container's contents. This invention also particularly relates to a two-piece container in which the base member can be expeditiously disassembled to provide a flat serving plate for the contents of the container, after the container has been opened by the consumer. This invention is quite particularly concerned with two-piece containers for high volume, take-out food establishments.
Paperboard containers for food products, such as sandwiches and the like, which can be opened and disassembled to provide a flat blank for storage purposes or for serving the food products, are generally known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,071,949, 2,085,038, 3,327,921, 3,542,569, 3,627,541 and 3,658,234.
However, all these containers have been somewhat unsatisfactory in one or more respects for use by establishments which provide a high volume, take-out service for food products, such as sandwiches, hamburgers and the like. Such establishments have required a container which can be pressembled and can be easily and quickly filled with a food product. Such establishments have also required a container which can be easily and quickly closed after being filled with a food product. Such establishments have further required a container having a preformed base, adapted to have the ingredients of the sandwich, hamburger of the like (e.g., the bread, meat, relish, etc.) individually placed in it when preparing the sandwich, hamburger, etc. for the takeout service. Such establishments have still further required a container which, when filled, remains closed and in which a heated, food product is protected against undue loss of heat until the consumer opens the container. In addition, such establishments have required a container which can be easily opened by the consumer and disassembled to form a flat plate for catching drippings and crumbs from the sandwich or the like while it is being consumed.
In heretofore available containers for food products, completely filling and closing the containers generally has not been a very easy or quick procedure. In many containers, the walls of the container base have had to be folded in a particular way so that the base can receive the food product. Also, in many containers, flaps on the container lid have had to be inserted in slits in the side walls of the container base to close the containers. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,542,569 and 3,627,541. Also, such containers often have not been well adapted to being easily opened by the consumer of the food product. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,921, wherein locking flaps have had to be unfolded in order to get at the contents of the container. Furthermore, such containers often have included relatively complicated constructions, which have tended to get in the way of quickly and easily closing them. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2.085,038, wherein the plurality of flaps, provided about the rim of the container base, have constituted a substantial hindrance to lidding the base to provide a closed container. Still another problem with heretofore available containers has been the relative difficulty in disassembling their bases to form flat plates. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2.071,949, wherein disassembling the container has involved individually unfolding the interfolded flaps at each corner of the container.